Sunset of an Empire
by Razuberry
Summary: The last two vampires of the Romanian coven, Vladimir and Stefan, have had one thing on their mind for over one thousand years: revenge. Taking place after Breaking Dawn, they begin their plan to destroy the Volturi once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Twilight series and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer._

Sunset of an Empire

**Prologue**

The night sky was aglow with the flames that danced so menacingly on the once-magnificent castle. Howls of fury and shrieks of hopelessness leaked through the walls and reached the ears of the two sole survivors of the attack on their precious castle, who were fleeing from the madness through the forest nearby. As furious as they were, the two pale men could not turn back for a moment, not even for a brief glance, or they would suffer the same fate as their coven. In any case, they didn't wish to stop. The sound of their familiar comrades inside the castle, screaming as though the crowns of glory rooted into their skulls were being torn from their very heads, were echoing. They were echoing in the minds of the survivors, and as the echoes grew softer, the horror grew ever louder. They had to keep running. They could not sit on their thrones anymore, so they had to keep running.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

It all had turned out to be a complete and utter disappointment.

Vladimir's pale hands were clenched so tight on the steering wheel of the car, they might have easily snapped the wheel right off. He drove at who-knew-how-many miles per hour, driving as fast as the old, nearly useless vehicle would allow him to go. His pale blond hair hung in his black and restless eyes. The dark-haired man who sat in the passenger seat, equally pale, and equally frustrated as Vladimir, clutched the ancient leather seat he was sitting on, gripping equally tight as Vladimir. Stefan's eyes were as black as Vladimir's, and both men had deep circles under their eyes. It had been difficult to find time to hunt during their trip. They were not thinking about their thirst during their visit to Forks, Washington. They had been distracted by the idea that they, the last Romanian vampires, could finally have a chance of getting their revenge on the Volturi. However, the thirst was pointless in the end. Vladimir and Stefan, driving home in the nighttime darkness, found that their thirst was not quenched with victory, but heightened with bitter defeat.

They kept their eyes focused straight ahead at the road, moving by so quickly that, to the human eye, it would have been nothing but a grey blur. But to the eyes of the vampires sitting in the old car, it was clearer than daylight.

It was a strange thing to Stefan and Vladimir, motion. They could travel by foot as easily as any other vampire, though the two Romanians found it more settling to sit and travel by car, train, anything. They were accustomed to sitting high upon a throne, and having to travel by foot was something they believed the conquerors of their castle, those wretched Volturi, so long ago had forced upon them as their thrones were swept out beneath their feet. It was true that, even with fifteen hundred years' time, some habits refused to die...

"Vladimir," Stefan grudgingly broke the silence with his whispery, hissing voice.

"Stefan?" Vladimir's equally whispery and hissing voice answered with a surprisingly patient tone, but his eyes were still glaring at the road ahead.

"You've missed the turn."

Vladimir then realized with extreme irritation that his mind had been so deep in thought that he had been paying little attention to the road he had been watching so intensely.

And only a brief moment after those words were spoken- CRACK- in Vladimir's fury, the steering wheel was finally crushed in his stone grip. He abruptly stomped his foot on the brake, causing a car to collide with immense force into the back of the vampires' old car. The rear of the old car was completely crushed, the back window shattered. The tiny shards of glass were strewn everywhere, as if a rain cloud of crystals had quickly passed by. As for the car that crashed into it, the vampires could not care less what kind of damage had been done. And they weren't the least bit interested in the damage that was done to their own car either.

Having bodies that were ideal for immortality was just one of the advantages the two Romanian vampires felt grateful to have. Unharmed, Stefan and Vladimir stepped out of their car. Now they could smell the pungent odor of the victim's blood that drifted through the broken windshield and blended with the cold air outside.

"Oh my, Vladimir. Look at this terrible mess you've made," Stefan said, smirking.

This road was not particularly busy today, considering that they were driving through a wooded area in the quiet mountains of Washington at night, but the few people that did drive by the two demolished vehicles were stopping. One driver in the opposite lane hit the brakes in a hurry once the driver spotted the wreck, but was hesitant at first to get out of the car to offer assistance. The driver- whoever he or she was; Vladimir and Stefan did not care- must have assumed that the two pale men, barely visible in the darkness, approaching the other car were taking care of the situation.

A grin flashed across Vladimir's face as he reached through the broken windshield. "I like to call this a reckless method of hunting, Stefan," he replied to his companion with sudden delight as he grabbed the solitary victim of the collision, who was a scrawny gentleman with short, untidy brown hair of perhaps thirty years of age. The man wore a grey sweatshirt, now heavily stained with blood. Stefan and Vladimir knew that the man was not dead; only unconscious. They could hear the human's heart, and their thirst grew stronger with each beat. Vladimir easily lifted him out of the driver's seat, through the shattered windshield, and onto Vladimir's slender shoulder. The smell of the sweet blood that trickled from the man's forehead made the vampires' noses wrinkle and their throats burn.

The two mysterious figures in black clothing were attracting unwanted spectators as more and more cars stopped in the road.

"We need to eat," Vladimir whispered, carrying the human on his back.

"So let's eat," Stefan whispered back.

And without another word, they disappeared into the forest with their prey.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"His blood was delicious..." Stefan hissed with a sinister chuckle.

"...despite the fact that he was so scrawny," Vladimir grinned. Their quick "snack" had lifted their sullen mood, if only for a short moment.

As motionless as statues, they stood together in the forest. A tranquil silence surrounded them.

"Do you want to steal another car, Vladimir?"

"Actually, I would rather travel by foot."

"Of course." Stefan agreed with Vladimir's suggestion. Driving could be bothersome, especially when vampires were forced to comply to the agonizing slow pace of humans. Sometimes it was better to break old habits than to abide by the rules of humans.

They set off once again, deep into the forest. The sky was black, lit only by a sliver of the moon and the stars above. Their slender figures barely skimmed the thin layer of snow on the ground as they darted past towering trees. They wove through the forest as they avoided each obstacle with effortless grace. It seemed as though the two bodies were composed of one being. Their communication was wordless, yet undeniable. Neither of the bodies led the other as they headed toward the same destination, on the same path.

As they tore across the snow-covered land, Stefan and Vladimir glanced at the night sky every so often. It was a beautiful winter sky, and for a moment the stars were able to calm their troubled spectators. Star gazing was one of Vladimir's and Stefan's many hobbies. They found it somehow rewarding to quench their strange curiosities by observing all that could be observed. No matter how many millennia they've lived through or however many they would live through, they could always find things to pique their interest. The world was constantly changing, so there were always new and exciting things to see. Although some people would call their hobbies nosy, Vladimir and Stefan could not help themselves. To them, everything was so _intriguing_.

However, the stars were not able to distract them from their concerns for long.

Maintaining their incredible speed, Stefan suddenly, yet still hesitantly, spoke the words that both he and Vladimir were thinking. "I'm still a bit thirsty."

Vladimir grimaced in agreement. "Maybe he really was too scrawny...," he managed to joke, but the attempt was tepid. The truth was that it would have been better if they had each had one human to feed on, rather than sharing one. Of course sharing was not an inconvenience; in fact, sharing was a habitual thing for them. "No matter. We're patient and dignified gentlemen."

"So we can wait until we get back." Stefan did not want to say that they were going "home". Neither Stefan nor Vladimir wanted to think of their temporary "lodgings" as home. Their "home", if they ever had one, had been burned down a long time ago.

Once again, they ran in silence as the wind whipped against them. They were not silent because they didn't want to talk to each other. Their thoughts were nearly always the same, so there was usually no need to speak of them. Having similar minds was something that was bound to happen after being around each other after so many years.

In the silence, their minds ran through the constellations they spotted in the sky above the dense forest. _Canis Major and Orion... Taurus... Aries... Perseus...Gemini..._

---

They ran for hours. In forests they took long glances at the sky, looking at the familiar constellations over and over again. _Canis Major and Orion... Taurus..._

They passed state after state, running through forests and streets and towns. They went unnoticed by any humans; it was late at night, and even if they were running past a bustling city where humans weren't sleeping, it was too dark to see the figures that could tear through a city in only seconds.

Long before the sun was ready to rise, Vladimir and Stefan had almost reached their destination. Slowing to a pace that would still be considered enormously fast for a human, they glided through the quiet woods of northern Vermont. A light shower of snow drifted to the already white forest floor. Trees here had lost their leaves and were covered by fresh snow. In the moonlight, the snow on the tree branches shimmered in a way that could only be described as stunning. At the moment, the two curious vampires found the shining tree branches to be a lot more fascinating than the constellations in the sky.

But they could not stare for long. They approached their destination; a lodge a little ways off a quiet hiking trail. They could not help but feel comforted at the sight of the tiny structure. Even if it wasn't "home", it was a place to rest their weary minds. Their running speed reduced to zero in a split second, and they abruptly stopped at the front porch. Once they walked across the porch and opened the welcoming unlocked door, they heaved synchronous sighs of relief.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Vladimir and Stefan walked into the quaint cabin, they were reminded of an old television show, where the husband, after a long day at work, would walk through the front door to hang up his hat and coat, welcomed by the smell of dinner being prepared by his wife in the kitchen. However, there was no wife in the miniscule kitchen awaiting the arrival of Vladimir and Stefan. The only welcome they received was from the steady ticking of an old grandfather clock in the parlor room. Even so, the two vampires preferred the clock's greeting to the smell of a homemade meal or a jovial hello from a wife.

The front door opened into a pocket-sized parlor room. The floor was covered by an unappealing grey shag carpet, which Stefan and Vladimir thought to be a distasteful choice by the designers.

Most of the interior of the building was left almost exactly the way they had found it years ago; it was no use to rearrange everything, and they also found it somehow respectful to the original owners to not completely change the house. They only added or moved a few things. To them, it was similar to respecting a grave.

The furniture in the parlor room was grey, like the carpet. There was a couch against the wood-paneled wall facing the front door, and on the wall opposite to that one there was a reclining armchair that sat next to the grandfather clock in the corner. There had been a television set when Vladimir and Stefan had first come to this place, but they stored it in a bedroom upstairs. To them, there was really nothing worth watching on it. A large mirror hung on the wall above the couch. It was a bit too high; any person of average height who wanted to look at their own reflection would have to walk directly up to the mirror and perhaps stand on their tiptoes. The mirror was too tall for Vladimir and Stefan, who were a bit short and needed to stand on the couch to peer into it. So it was considered an inconvenience and it was barely used, like most of the furniture in the house. A phone and a lamp- which were both useless, because there was no electricity (or running water or gas) in the cabin anymore- sat on a small table next to the couch.

The corner where the awkwardly large clock rested was always covered by a peculiar shadow. It was true that, here in the forest surrounded by trees, not much light shone into this room, and the darkness of the early morning only emphasized the shadows in the corner. Still, Vladimir and Stefan had the blessed eyesight possessed by vampires, and could read the face of the clock, which said that it was now 1:04 in the morning.

The clock itself was the most interesting piece of furniture in the cabin; its dark wood was decorated in a simple, but beautiful way. Sometimes when the two vampires wanted to kill their boredom, they would stare at the swinging pendulum. They thought it was strangely fascinating.

The decrepit piano was another thing that Vladimir and Stefan deeply cherished. It sat against the wall opposite the clock, which could have been an inconvenience for the piano player, who would have to turn his body on the piano bench any time he wanted to check the time on the grandfather clock. Luckily for Vladimir and Stefan, they weren't normally concerned with checking time. The piano was approximately seventy years old, though it wasn't an original part of the house; Stefan and Vladimir had bought it shortly after "moving in". Old pianos were cheap and readily given away, so they took advantage of that. If there was one thing that Vladimir and Stefan needed in order to feel comfortable anywhere, it was a piano, no matter what condition it was in.

Beyond the parlor room, there was a kitchen near the left wall, and a staircase near the right wall. The staircase was covered by the grey carpet, and the second floor was covered by the loathsome stuff as well. The second floor had nothing but a couple of unused bedrooms and closets, all of which were used for storage space. It also had a bathroom, which was used only occasionally, when Vladimir or Stefan felt the need to run a brush through their hair. In fact, they wondered if their wind-swept hair needed to be fixed as their eyes scanned past the stairs, but they decided that it wasn't very important right now.

The kitchen was, like the rest of the cabin, puny. That wasn't bad in any way, since the kitchen served no purpose when it came to cooking. The white floor tiles, white counter tops and light blue walls added a brighter tone to the otherwise bleak house. The cabinets were plain and made of dark wood, making a sharp contrast between themselves and the walls they were attached to. A screen door was located on the back wall, and it led outside to a deck on the back of the house, which the vampires barely used unless they had the rare urge to sit and stare at the sea of trees that surrounded them. Autumn was when the deck was really put to use, because they enjoyed watching the leaves change colors. They would sit on the deck for days or weeks on end to watch the trees, until they got thirsty and forced themselves to hunt. It reminded them of the days when they sat high upon a throne, when they didn't have a care in the world, when they believed they were kings, when they were too godly to hunt for themselves, when they could afford to sit until their skin petrified.

Four chairs sat around a small table in the kitchen. The table was covered by a tablecloth that matched the color of the kitchen walls. A few books, some pens and a pad of paper were strewn across the table. Vladimir and Stefan passed a lot of time sitting, chatting, reading, doing mostly anything at this table. The brightly-colored kitchen was a lot more pleasant than the dreary parlor room, so they were willing to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

The left wall of the kitchen opened into another room, which had once been a playroom. Its walls had large windows, making it the best-lit room in the house. A steel grey carpet, darker and more visually appealing than the one in the front room, covered the floor. A bookshelf fit snugly in one of the corners, and it held everything from picture books to novels to music records to board games. On top of the bookshelf sat a record player that hadn't been touched by human hands -or vampire hands, for that matter- in over two decades. In front of a white couch, there was a glass coffee table. On top of the table, there was an unusual chess set made of glass. The pieces were put in their right places, waiting for Stefan and Vladimir to start a new game.

Vladimir and Stefan stood in the front doorway in silence, listening to the grandfather clock. The longer they stood in silence, the more they became infuriated.

It was surreal. When they had left this forest to pay a "visit" to Forks, they thought that they were leaving it forever. They thought that the Volturi would be destroyed, that their final goal would be accomplished, that they could leave this place and do anything they wanted. But they had returned. They had returned to this cursed cabin. The incessant ticking of the clock that had been a source of comfort for so many years was now taunting them. They didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to know that more and more time was passing by, and they didn't want to know that those dreadful Volturi were still in existence.

In a split second of fury, Vladimir lunged across the room, grabbed the lamp off the small table, and hurled it at the base of the grandfather clock. The lamp, like a spear, completely flew through the clock; it shattered the glass, cracked the pendulum, and tore through the back. It hit the wall with a thud, and fell to the ground.

But the clock was still ticking. Outraged by the merciless noise, Stefan grabbed and threw the telephone from the table into the face of the clock. The telephone didn't completely pass through, but because of the incredible force at which it was thrown, it was able to break the gears inside.

Vladimir and Stefan stood in silent rage as they glared at the mangled clock.

The sinister creature finally fell silent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Everything was silent.

Vladimir and Stefan, having taken their anger out on their only companion, grudgingly plodded into the kitchen. They sat down across from each other at the kitchen table, sighing heavily as they did so.

Vladimir, his head in his hand and his elbow on the table top, muttered, "It's not...fair..."

"I know," Stefan's disbelief at the long day's events matched that of his companion's. They were both mentally exhausted. If they were able to, they believed their frustration might have driven them to tears. The amusement that they had felt at the sight of the Volturi cowardly fleeing from a fight was, in the big picture, not enough to make them feel better about their deep hatred for the hooded tyrants. For Stefan and Vladimir, nothing seemed to turn out right.

They stared down at the table for a long time, in deep thought. They were in a bad mood, but they didn't want to be. They just wanted to calm down, so, for the time being, they forgot their misfortunes of the past twenty-four hours.

"The Cullens didn't like us very much, did they?" Stefan smirked, his whispery voice clearly showing that he was delighted by that fact.

"They treated us like the bubonic plague," Vladimir laughed.

"Ugh, the plague. The Black Death was a horrible time to hunt. Do you remember how stale the blood tasted?"

"I do," Vladimir frowned as he recalled the memories. "…That daughter of the newborn was very nice."

"The nicest of all of them, I think. She was very interesting."

"Renesmee was her name, wasn't it?"

"An odd name."

"Very fitting for an odd individual," Vladimir finished.

"She really was a half-vampire..." Stefan mused.

"The young Edward Cullen boy was her father and the newborn was her mother."

"I can't believe that boy would put his mate through so much pain."

"Shouldn't he know to be more chivalrous than to let a woman suffer like that?"

"I agree. I can't imagine how someone could do such a thing. That type of behavior is despicable."

"Disgraceful."

"Disgusting."

"But," Vladimir added, "if he had been more reasonable, we never would have met that strange Renesmee."

"So some good did come out of young foolishness," Stefan chuckled.

They found these conversations very relaxing. They always liked talking without an obligation to say something too meaningful. Chatting might have been a better term for it, though Vladimir and Stefan simply preferred the term "talking". In their opinion, "chatting" was something that gossipy teenagers did. They did not want to be compared to the younger generation, which they found, although interesting, foolish.

Seeing that the sun was not going to rise anytime soon, Stefan asked, in a much better mood than earlier, "We should go hunting now."

"Yes, let's go," Vladimir agreed, also in better spirits, as they rose from their seats.

In one fluid movement, they passed through the kitchen and parlor room and out the front door, where the silent forest waited for them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It took only a few minutes to reach the city after running past countless trees, roads, and towns. Although they had passed by a number of cars on the streets as they ran, Burlington was always Vladimir's and Stefan's favorite hunting spot. Places like Vermont were ideal regions in which to feed; vampires could grab a bite to eat in a city, then disappear without a trace into a neighboring forest. Some vampires, like Stefan and Vladimir, might even find dwellings among the tranquil forests.

The lithe figures skulked along rooftops, keeping alert as their sharp eyes scanned the streets below. It was incredibly early in the morning, and even most of the almost nocturnal wanderers of the streets were indoors. Winter was an especially difficult season to go hunting during the night; most humans liked to stay out of the cold. Cars passed by, and occasionally people could be found walking briskly along the snow-covered sidewalks. The vampires knew that, surely, there must be a familiar bar or a night club open nearby. It was an easy hunt when all the predator needed to do was wait for the prey to come out of its den.

"You know, Vladimir..." Stefan uttered with delight as they searched the streets below for a bar.

"Yes?" Vladimir smiled wryly, catching the contagious amusement in Stefan's voice.

"Yesterday's awful turn of events has left me with an awfully large appetite."

"For me as well, my friend."

"What do the humans call it? When they eat to cure their sadness?" Stefan pondered for a moment, trying to recollect the memories of the very limited interactions he and Vladimir had had with humans in the past few years.

"I believe they call it... hm, let's see if I can remember- Ah! They call it 'comfort food'."

"Yes, that's it. Let's get some 'comfort food'."

"And we shall," Vladimir said as their running slowed to a complete stop. They stood on top of a building across the street from a bar called Ake's Place. "...Though I don't think drunks count as good comfort food." Vladimir scowled.

"You're right. Alcohol doesn't do the blood much justice when it comes to taste..." Stefan remarked with disgust.

"But we can't be choosy, I suppose."

"Especially at this hour."

The sounds typical to those of a bar drifted leisurely from the brick building into the street each time the heavy white doors opened. As Stefan and Vladimir waited patiently from the rooftop, they observed that people never entered; they only left. Closing time would be soon.

"Say, Stefan... If you really would prefer not to eat some rancid drunk, we could share the bartender."

"Or we could hunt for some designated drivers." Although they were exchanging casual conversation, Vladimir and Stefan grew thirstier as their intent gazes fell upon each human that walked out of the bar. They were acquiring a sudden enthusiasm for the 'comfort food' idea.

"I've found mine," Stefan hissed, pointing to a man who had just left the bar and started walking down the street alone.

"Go ahead. I'm waiting for the bartender."

"I thought you were joking about that."

"I was, but now I'm in the mood to terrorize my food." Vladimir smirked.

"Ah, I see. You're going to lock that bartender inside and pretend you're an apparition of some sort?"

"More or less," Vladimir replied, as he and Stefan chuckled at the morbid joke. As soon as they had finished their laugh, Stefan suddenly plunged from the rooftop and landed delicately on the sidewalk below. The snow crunched softly under his feet as he moved hastily toward his victim. Vladimir, feeling slightly awkward from being left alone on the rooftop -and feeling certain that humans passing by would soon begin to notice the peculiar figure perched there- followed Stefan. Once he caught up with Stefan, he whispered in a voice so low and so quick that it was inaudible to human ears, "Don't mind me. I'm just tagging along."

Stefan grinned. "The more, the merrier."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Are you making some sort of plan?" Vladimir murmured with his whispery voice.

"Not really much of a plan," Stefan answered bluntly.

They had been following this man for almost five minutes- an almost unnecessarily long amount of time for a vampire to stalk its prey when it was already within its grasp. The man was heavily built, and he wore a thick blue-and-grey jacket with blue denim jeans. His sneakers made loud crunching noises when they stomped through the snow, as his pursuers followed almost noiselessly behind. His hair was dark brown and cut short. Vladimir and Stefan could only see their victim's back, but they knew they would see his face soon enough.

As he turned a corner into an unoccupied street, Stefan leapt into the air, landing on the sidewalk directly in front of his prey. When the man, who had not seen the stranger jump nor land on the ground as he was turning the corner, bumped into the vampire's stone body, he gave a startled shout and fell back into the snow. Embarrassed, he scrambled to his feet as Stefan silently watched him.

"Excuse me..." the man mumbled gruffly. He tried to walk around the stranger, but Stefan, with an effortless shove to the chest, stopped the man in his tracks.

"Hello there," Stefan hissed, taking one menacing step forward. The man turned to walk the other way, only to find that another strange man in dark clothing was blocking his path. A streetlight beamed down on the three solitary life forms on the street.

"Please wait one moment, sir." Once the man turned back to Stefan, Stefan grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Get your- hand off of me-!" He struggled, but was shocked to find that he couldn't shake off the stone grip of the slim stranger who was a head shorter than he was.

Finally realizing that these pale men meant trouble (though his guess was slightly off as to what kind of trouble the vampires meant), he started to panic. "Listen, if it's money you want-," he sputtered, starting to reach for his wallet in his back pocket. Stefan interrupted him by grabbing the man's shoulder with more force, making his victim wince in pain.

"We don't want your money," Stefan assured in a tone was too amicable to be genuine. "But how about your eyes?"

The man, thoroughly terrified and baffled, stared down at the pale dark-haired man. Surely he must have been joking, or completely insane.

"Ah, yes," Vladimir added as he seized the man's free shoulder. "Eyes these days are a delicacy. Especially green ones like yours, sir."

Now the man was truly bothered, and he made an attempt to escape. "L-listen, you freaks- I don't have time to be bothered by-"

"Where are you off to in such a rush at this hour?" Vladimir whispered as he tightened his grasp on the man's shoulder.

"Don't try to leave in the middle of our pleasant conversation. It's incredibly rude." Stefan clutched the human's shoulder with such force that he heard the collarbone crack under the pressure of his fingers. The human had only a brief moment to scream before the dark-haired creature's teeth pierced his neck.

---

"I like comfort food," Stefan chuckled as he finished his meal. "Even if he had a couple of drinks beforehand, his blood tasted fine. Are you sure you wouldn't like some?"

"No, I'm saving my appetite for that bartender." Vladimir replied with a smirk. "But this fellow was fun."

"Yes, he was... although he called us 'freaks'." Stefan stood and stared with a troubled expression at the lifeless body lying in the bloodstained snow.

"Of course he did. He is... well, _was _a human. Anything unfamiliar to him was 'freaky'."

"I suppose humans are like that, aren't they?..."

Now they both stared at the sidewalk thoughtfully. It was true that most contact Vladimir and Stefan had had with humans and other vampires for the past one and a half millennia led to them being seen differently. It was even more of a strange feeling when they were outcasted by other vampires. Their visit to Forks had been a clear example. They had overheard the words openly spoken throughout the Cullen residence; words like creepy, freaky, and other words were passed along about the Romanians. It did not bother Stefan and Vladimir, but it was a bit odd to always hear the same things spoken over and over again throughout the years.

"Vampires are guilty of the same crime as humans," Vladimir finally uttered. "Humans and vampires both have the habit of feeling an uneasiness toward unfamiliar things. Or people, for that matter..."

"It is to be expected. We vampires are essentially humans with different desires. Are we not?"

"That is true," Stefan agreed. He glanced at the body that was lying under the glare of the streetlight, flashing a brief sneer at the mangled pile. "However, we are not freaks."

"No, Stefan. We are different."

"And different isn't bad. On the contrary-"

"It's a good thing," Vladimir finished, uplifting their sullen mood. "Though I think you might have been pushing 'different' with the eye comments you gave."

"How so?"

"Why eyes?" Vladimir asked, genuinely curious. He had followed his friend's lead with the eye remarks, but it was a bit strange. It was a known fact that eyes were not very appetizing, to vampires at least. It was also a known fact that no part of the human body was very appetizing to vampires unless, of course, it was blood.

"Humans don't particularly enjoy the thought of their eyes being gouged out," Stefan laughed.

"Neither do vampires, nor any other creature I know of."

"I was just trying to scare him."

"By telling him something he doesn't understand?"

"Yes. We need to use the humans' natural weakness."

"Ah! I see!" Vladimir chuckled cheerfully.

"And afterall, an eye for an eye-"

"Makes the world balanced."

"...Say, Vladimir."

"Yes, Stefan?"

"Remember how that fellow attempted to give us money?"

"Refresh my memory. Who was he?" Vladimir mused.

"Green eyes, dark brown hair. A big fellow."

"Ah. Yes?"

"We should take up his offer. That old grandfather clock hasn't been working right at all since we returned from Carlisle's house."

"You're right. But that thing always had difficulties. It was bound to cease working eventually."

"Yes, I'm surprised it even lasted this long. It's still a shame; I liked that clock," Stefan crouched down over the body, searching its pockets. Normally, Stefan and Vladimir didn't steal money- or anything else, for that matter- from their victims, but they felt that they had a justified excuse this time. He rummaged through the black leather wallet he found, which was dripping with blood. Stefan silently scolded himself for making such a mess with his meal. When he dug up all the wet, red-stained one hundred thirty four dollars from it, he said, "This is not enough."

"Don't worry, Stefan," Vladimir said as Stefan shoved the dollar bills into his own pocket. "I know where we can get more."

"So we're going to the bar now?"

"Of course," Vladimir said, then noticed Stefan's meal, exposed under the streetlight. "But what are we going to do with that?"

"Do we need to hide it? I think it's alright to leave it there."

"Alright. Shall we go then?" Vladimir asked, chummily offering his arm to Stefan.

Stefan linked his left arm with Vladimir's right. "Ready when you are, my friend."

And with that, they began their pleasant stroll toward the bar.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Vladimir and Stefan stood at the front entrance of the bar. The last group of laughing drunks filed out of the bar, passing the two pale men, who were watching silently from the sidewalk with an almost child-like curiousity.

The bartender, who had brown eyes and ear-length, thin blond hair and seemed to be in his mid-twenties, locked the front door and shot an irritated, but curious look at the strangers standing on the other side of the door. Apparently he was not in the mood to deal with people, though by the look of it, he was surprised and a bit freaked out to see two strangers standing on the sidewalk. They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, though their voices were too soft to be heard through the glass. Curiously, the man stared at their skin. The men were so pale that their skin shone as white as the full moon hanging in the sky just above them, made even more pale in comparison to their dark clothing, just as the dark sky made the moon look even brighter. The man found this odd, but decided that he was too tired to stare any longer, so he turned away to finish cleaning up the bar.

"Lucky for us," Stefan remarked as the uproarious, drunken laughter disappeared down the street. "We have great timing."

Looking through the glass panes of the door, the two men could see that the bartender was busy with emptying the cash register and counting its contents.

"Looks like there's more than enough money in there-"

"To buy a decent grandfather clock with," Stefan finished, grinning with excitement. Concluding that they were both ready to enter the building, Stefan tried to open the door. Though he already knew that the bartender had just locked it, he gasped in faux surprise, "Oh, my."

"What is it, Stefan?"

"It's locked."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What should we do now?"

"I don't want to go through the back entrance."

"And neither do I."

"So we won't," Stefan whispered, as he tightened his grip on the door handle. He pushed his body against the door once, to see how solid it was. "The door is somewhat heavy, but the lock is pathetic..."

A moment later, Stefan pushed against the door with a great deal of strength. Suddenly, the door swung open, and the wood around the lock and door handle splintered almost explosively as it violently detached from the rest of the door. Stefan let go of the metal handle and lock, and they fell noisily to the ground, along with countless slivers of wood.

The bartender immediately whipped his head in the direction of the noise, staring, in shock, at the door and its broken fragments on the floor.

Stefan held open the door and bowed slightly, "After you."

"Why, thank you, Stefan," Vladimir said, flashing his brilliant, white teeth as he smiled at his friend.

"You're quite welcome."

This faux courtesy they exchanged was the type of over-the-top politeness that was normally only exchanged between strangers (those with manners essential for growing up in this kind of environment, at the very least). Although Stefan and Vladimir had been detached from society for such a long time, they sometimes reminded themselves to say "please" and "thank you" when necessary, which they discovered, much to their dismay, was often. To them, if they did not feel that someone deserved their "common courtesy", then they did not give it. So for the sake of avoiding the use of manners and avoiding getting frustrated by people, Vladimir and Stefan chose to avoid contact with society. They much preferred to observe society from a safe distance. It had been a while since they had "casually" walked into a building such as this one.

"W-what did you do?" The bartender was too angry to be scared at that moment, and he furiously shouted at the strangers who were walking toward him, "Get the hell out of here! We're closed; that's why the door was locked!... Ugh, I can't believe this." He ended, exasperated.

But Stefan and Vladimir continued to advance toward the bar, until their faces were only a foot away from the man's face.

"Please, sir-"

"We only want a drink." Vladimir finished, both him and Stefan pleading, but smiling slightly.

Suddenly, the bartender realized that something was off about these men. His rage dwindled to uneasiness. "Look, don't start any trouble here, or I'll call the cops. I said the bar was-"

He stopped mid-sentence as he stared in horror at the dark-haired one.

"What's wrong, sir?" Stefan asked, and Vladimir looked at his friend curiously.

"Oh, Stefan. Look at that mess on your face," he pointed to a drop of blood dripping from Stefan's mouth down to his jaw.

The bartender stared at the deep, red line, which stood out from the stranger's porcelain white face.

"I'm so careless," Stefan smiled, wiping the blood with his hand.

"Don't let that go to waste, now."

"But I can't eat while we're having a conversation with this fine gentleman, Vladimir. It's rude."

"Since when did you start caring about manners, Stefan?"

"You make a fine point," Stefan chuckled as he proceded to quickly lick the blood off of his hand.

"Now, sir," Vladimir turned to the unfortunate bartender, who was currently confused and wishing he could go home. "We... well, I -for you see, my friend has had enough for tonight- would very much like a drink. _Please_, sir."

The bartender didn't know what to make of the blood on the stranger's face, only that he figured these freaks liked looking for fights at two in the morning. And not only that; judging by their confident behavior and their apparent lack of injuries, to the bartender, it was clear that these short, thin men always won their fights.

"F-fine, what do you wa-?"

Before the the bartender could finish speaking, Vladimir lunged at him, kneeling on the counter while grabbing the the man by the collar.

"I'll order my drink after you give us your money, sir," Vladimir smiled kindly.

Startled, the man immediately turned to the open cash register. Before he could lay his hands on the money, Vladimir sunk his teeth into the man's neck. The man screamed as the vampire took his teeth out of the flesh until -CRACK- Vladimir snapped his neck with one swift, elegant movement of his hands. The limp body slumped upon the counter.

"Well done, Vladimir."

"Thank you, Stefan. Though I wish I could have used more eloquence."

"I think you did a fine job."

"I was just too thirsty to think of anything better, that's all."

"You were superb. Now enjoy your drink. I'll take care of the money," Stefan said with a reassuring smile. He then reached over the cash register to take the money.

Vladimir sunk his teeth back into the dead man's neck and enjoyed his drink.

"We should go drinking at that bar again sometime," Vladimir said as he closed the broken door behind him and Stefan.

"We should. And look at how much money we've got." Stefan brandished the handful of assorted dollar bills in the moonlight. "That's enough for a new grandfather clock, isn't it?"

"It is. But we are not going to steal anymore."

"Of course. Only take what is necessary."

"Oh!" Vladimir caught sight of the body inside through the door's window panes. "What about the-"

"Body?"

"Leave it?"

"Yes."

"We're being very lazy about these bodies recently."

"It's alright; we're depressed right now. We don't have to put in the effort to hide them like we normally do."

"Well put, Stefan. Let's head back now. I'm full from this comfort food. We can look for a new clock tomorrow."

"Yes, I agree. Let's go."

And with that said, Stefan and Vladimir darted down the moonlit streets.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Vladimir and Stefan left the city, and once again flew through the dense forest. Their thirst was satisfied, but as they traveled in silence through the path that was so familiar, their sullen mood quickly returned.

The two distraught vampires slowed down when they reached the cabin and hesitantly walked through the door. This was just like any other time they returned to their cabin. Except this time, there was no greeting from their grandfather clock. Instead, the once-beautiful machine sat in the dark corner, crushed and betrayed, like a victim of some ruthless murder.

Both Stefan and Vladimir frowned at the sight of it. Stefan then moved dismally into the kitchen, and sat down at the table. His friend soon followed.

Stefan stared down at the tabletop. After a long pause, he said woefully, "This 'comfort food'-"

"Didn't help at all," Vladimir finished in agreement.

Stefan placed his head in his hands. "Damn those Volturi…"

At the mentioning of their enemies, both Vladimir and Stefan became even more distressed.

"Why must we always fail?" Vladimir growled. "Why is it that-"

"We can never win? Make them suffer-"

"Like they made us suffer?"

Their tone was slowly changing from sorrow to rage. They were frustrated. They were tired. They wanted one thing: They wanted revenge on the Volturi, but no matter how close they were to their goal, it always slipped through their fingers, and their failure constantly taunted them.

Vladimir stood and paced angrily, "We have to do something-"

Stefan remained sitting, but seemed restless. "Do it quickly-"

"Do it soon."

"Do it for our fallen coven."

"Do it for us."

"For every vampire in the world!" In their brief spout of madness, Stefan brought up their justification which they saw as a "higher calling".

Vladimir turned to his friend and replied with a wild grin on his face, "You are right, my friend! Imagine a world without the Volturi!"

"Without those ruthless dictators!"

"Those filthy scum!"

Now Stefan stood, and stared eagerly at his friend, who mirrored his excitement.

Stefan grinned. "With the Volturi gone, _we_ could rule. _We_ could have our glory back."

"Rebuild our coven."

The thought of sitting high upon a throne once again was an incredible thing to them, and they could not have been more eager to take down the despicable Volturi. Their heads were filled with wild, morbid fantasies.

"We'll make them watch as we burn their home-" Vladimir continued.

"We'll gouge their eyes out-"

"Burn their bodies-"

"And stick their heads on stakes!"

Vladimir grinned. "The sun will set-"

On their empire." Stefan returned the wicked smile.

"But first-"

"We need a plan."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

They needed a plan.

In their wild excitement, there was a pause. Stefan stared at Vladimir, and Vladimir stared at Stefan. There was a silence as they contemplated, a silence which normally would have been filled by the ticking of the old grandfather clock. That old creature always seemed to keep in time with its owners' banter: Tick-tock, back-forth.

However, the two vampires had more to worry about than purchasing a new clock. They had a feeling that their lives were about to change- they hoped- for the better. Something had stirred within them. Their seemingly eternal patience had finally worn out. They could no longer sit still.

But they needed a plan.

They broke from each other's frozen stare at the same time, as though it was rehearsed. Vladimir sat back down at the kitchen table, while Stefan wandered into the parlor room, where his gaze was fixed on the ugly carpet as he paced.

Vladimir played with a pen in his hand as he interrupted the thoughtful silence, "Do you suppose we really _could_…?"

"…We could destroy the Volturi, you mean?"

There was no answer, so Stefan sat on the couch and continued, "Of course we could, my friend! Don't start having doubts!" There was a hint of a laugh on his lips as he spoke, incredulous at his friend's attitude.

"Stefan… I have no doubts… but… just _how_ can we go about doing this?"

"_How_? How have we done _anything_ since the beginning? We've done everything _together_. And that's how we'll go about doing this-"

"Together, yes. But it will take more than just us to carry out this plan, Stefan."

Stefan wandered back into the kitchen, and sat across from Vladimir. "Yes. But it will not be possible without both of us. We cannot doubt ourselves and we cannot doubt each other."

Vladimir sighed and slightly grinned, knowing Stefan was right, "Yes, I know. I know."

"So no doubts, okay?"

"Okay. Besides, we are what was once the mighty Romanian-"

"- Rather, we _are_ the mighty Romanian coven."

"Yes. And we were a threat to the Volturi-"

"And we _will soon be_ a threat to the Volturi-"

"No, we _are_ a threat to the Volturi. We, together, have experience on our side."

"We have the two survivors of the unforgivable Romanian coven massacre on our side."

"We don't have numbers on our side, Stefan, but-"

"-_that_ can be arranged." They shared a wide grin. "We need a plan," Stefan repeated.

"We can make a plan. We can make a fantastic plan. Of course we can, can't we?"

"No doubt we can."

They chuckled, now that they were fueled by revenge as well as confidence. They had plenty of time to make a plan, but they knew they were both too eager to waste another moment from their eternal life, and could not wait to hear the Volturi's agonized screams.

"Oh, we could have gotten them! Last night, we, along with the power of the rest of the vampires, could have gotten them!" Vladimir said, though his tone was more matter-of-factly than it was regretful.

Stefan nodded in agreement. He reached his arm across the table, firmly grabbing his friend's shoulder. "If those Cullens could gather enough vampires, strong enough to take down the Volturi-"

"-Then why can't _we_?"

A plan hatched simultaneously in the two separate- though undoubtedly connected- minds. To them, it was a brilliant plan- their best yet- and their wide smiles etched into their pale faces grew wider. In their wild grin, there was a silent exchange of understanding, in which they both accepted that they would never be able to go back; they could never again go back to this lifestyle of dwelling in their cozy little cabin; they could never again sit for weeks on end on the porch, watching the Vermont foliage change color; they could never again pleasantly take nighttime strolls through the streets of the city; they could never again seek comfort from the ticking of a grandfather clock.

They could never again do any of that. They could only go forward. They were to destroy the Volturi, no questions asked, and they were to do it together.

Their grand plan was in motion, starting now.

**Hello, everyone! :)**

**I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter, because I really enjoyed writing it.**

**It's been a long time since I've worked on this fanfic, and I really apologize. :( Life has been kicking my butt lately. Thank you all for being so patient with me. I hope you look forward to the next chapter, because I plan to update more often! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"We have a plan now."

"We do, Vladimir."

"Now we need help."

"Of course. We should probably start with the Cullens."

"So let's pay them a visit."

There was a pause before Stefan responded, "It might be too soon for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, as anxious as we are to destroy those Volturi swine, we can't just drop in on the Cullens so soon," Stefan smiled jokingly. "Give them some time to wind down from all the excitement."

"You're right. Afterall, we only left there about three hours ago."

"Are you sure, Vladimir? What time is-?" Stefan stopped himself from finishing the sentence, as he knew that both he and his friend wished to ignore the thought of their precious clock, destroyed and downtrodden, in that lonely corner of the parlor room.

They wished to think of the clock as unimportant. They desperately, desperately wanted to focus on their plan, which was already exhilarating just to think about.

However, that clock… it bothered them. It was an insignificant thing, but it chewed away at their minds. If the past fifteen hundred years of revenge-swearing had been proof of anything, it would be that the two ancient souls had a difficult time letting go, of moving on, of forgetting, of forgiving. Above all, Vladimir and Stefan refused to ever take the blame for anything; either by choice or by some delusion that they were never in the wrong. Even as they lamented over their fallen clock, they refused to admit (at least to each other) that it was their doing.

They were somewhat aware of these flaws of theirs; however, they were completely unaware of the harm it did to them, of the time it wasted, of the consequences it might bring.

Now their expressions were anxious, almost disturbed, as they sat motionless at the kitchen table, pestered by what lied in the parlor room beyond their peripheral vision.

With some difficulty, Vladimir finally spoke up, "That pesky old clock."

"It stopped working."

"I suppose, if it's too early to go back to the Cullens' house-"

"We could look for a new clock in the meantime," Stefan finished.

"But Stefan, I think it's approximately two o'clock in the morning."

"…You're right. The sun isn't even up!" Stefan let out a light-hearted laugh, which Vladimir returned, temporarily breaking the stressful mood. "It seems like such a long night, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Vladimir agreed. "So how shall we pass the time, my friend?"

"I suppose we could play a few games of chess. We haven't played in a while."

"Yes, it's been two weeks or so."

They quickly moved into the adjacent room. The chess pieces were already set up, so they started as soon as they sat down. Their chess games usually did not last more than ten minutes. However, even that was a long time, for vampires; they were both almost equally matched, and it was difficult for one to win over the other.

However, they did not finish this game. Instead, they stood up and moved restlessly around the cabin, idly chatting about nothing, mindlessly playing with cabinets and books, doing anything to avoid the parlor room.

Eventually they did move into the parlor room, but just so that they could use the piano, and not face the clock. Vladimir played a very jittery version of Bach's Solfeggietto in C Minor (a piece both he and Stefan had memorized long ago), while Stefan leaned on the piano and obsessively read a dusty old book.

As soon as Vladimir stopped playing, Stefan looked up slowly from his book to see the clock. Vladimir had turned around too, and stared at it, as though shocked.

They stared at it for hours in silence, until the sun rose.

**This was a difficult chapter to write… I really hope it wasn't too boring to read.  
****This was an unplanned break from the action, but I got to reveal a bit more about these two.  
****Yes, there will be action. Soon. The Cullens will also make an appearance. Even sooner.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

After the sun was up, Stefan and Vladimir decided it was a good time to escape from the unsightly mess in the corner.

Stefan left the parlor room to discard the old book into the barely touched bookshelf in the play room. Judging by what he could see through the windows, they could go outside without worrying about the sun.

"It's still cloudy out," Stefan called out.

"Perhaps we'll get more snow," Vladimir called back light-heartedly. The tense mood in the cabin was uplifted, now that its inhabitants knew that they were leaving.

"Yes, but… just in case-"

"I'll get it." Vladimir quickly retrieved a black umbrella, which had been leaning against the side of the piano. Stefan was already at the front door by the time his friend had stood up.

As Stefan opened the door, he said with a grin, "I think some fresh air will do us some good."

"I agree. I don't know how much longer I could tolerate sitting in there."

"Then shall we go?"

"Yes, let's go."

And off they went, like two bullets flying through the Vermont wilderness.

...

They already knew their destination before they had spoken a word about it. There were some towns nearby, and Vladimir and Stefan knew that one contained some kind of specialty shop; it sold grandfather clocks. In fact, it was the shop that had done repairs on their clock before.

However, when they reached the shop, it was still much too early. They could only see a few cars on the streets, and maybe four people walk past them. From the sidewalk, they peered in through the front window at the many tall clocks, which all attested that the time was 7:56.

"It says here on the door that it doesn't open until 9:30," Vladimir mused.

Stefan stood and thought for a moment, then said, "You don't suppose we could have them _fix_ our clock?"

Vladimir furrowed his brow. "Oh, it seems very, very broken, that old thing..."

"But it is cheaper to repair than for us to buy a new one."

"Yes, I suppose it's worth a try. We have time to spare, anyway."

"Alright, then."

"Let's bring it here."

…

To carry that grandfather clock was quite a clumsy task. It was light as a feather for them to carry it, of course. It was just the bulkiness of the clock made it very awkward to place on their thin shoulders and grab hold of it with their arms.

But they got it to the shop without much difficulty. Of course they stayed out of view of humans for most of the trip, which took about half an hour, and were forced to feign weakness when they traveled down the now busy sidewalk to the tiny shop; they carried it as best as they thought two scrawny humans would carry it; with the clock on their arms now instead of on their shoulders, they teetered, they cursed, they grumbled. They thought it was very funny; they couldn't help but briefly flash curious smiles at their well-played charade.

They rested it on the sidewalk outside of the shop, continuing their game by uttering little 'Be careful's and 'Easy, now's.

After that was done, they looked at their fallen friend up and down. They had already dislodged the lamp and the telephone and the shattered glass from inside. The pendulum was broken into who-knew-how-many pieces, and the face was unrecognizable.

"It looks damaged beyond repair," Stefan said, but not in a very disappointed tone.

"Oh, that's alright. Even if they can't fix it, it was still fun carrying it down the street."

Stefan laughed in agreement. "Yes, it was. We could be professional actors."

"I agree." Vladimir's eyes wandered aimlessly down the street. "Say, it's still a bit early for the shop to open. Let's take a stroll around the town."

"Let's. Oh, don't forget the umbrella-"

"Yes, I've got it. Just in case. And, Vladimir, shall we leave the old thing here?"

"Of course. Who's going to steal a broken clock? Though, if anyone _does_ steal it,"

"Then good riddance! Ha!"

"My thoughts exactly."

…

They soon returned from their leisurely walk through the town, though they could have stared at the colorful store windows for many more hours; this was a very interesting little town.

While they were walking, however, the sun had reared its ugly head, and the vampires were forced to retreat under their umbrella. They did not care much about breaking the rule of what the Volturi called "exposure"; they couldn't care less about those silly rules. No, they were much more concerned with looking ridiculous. Of course carrying an umbrella during the daytime looked ridiculous, but Vladimir and Stefan decided that it was nowhere near as ridiculous as twinkling like a couple of walking Christmas trees.

When they reached the store, a man was intently staring at the clock sitting on the sidewalk, walking around the monstrous thing as though studying it.

"Excuse us, sir," Stefan spoke up. The man turned suddenly. He wore a button-down blue shirt, with worn-out denim jeans. His hair was graying in places, but was combed neatly. His face and hands and whole body were rough, like he had worked a full life of difficult labor, but his grey eyes showed some kind of softness in spirit that contrasted drastically with his sturdy appearance. He seemed to be about forty years old.

"Yes, how can I help you?" the man asked politely, but he could not help but stare at the two pale men- then at the umbrella- then at the sky to make sure that the sun was out- then back at the two pale men in bewilderment.

"Are you the owner of this fine establishment?" Vladimir continued.

"Ah… Yes. I am."

"Splendid. Well, you see, my friend and I were wondering-"

"If you could help us fix our clock here," Stefan finished, gesturing toward the clock. The shop owner hesitated, unnerved by the strangers whose voices hissed like steam.

"This… this is _your_ clock?... Well, there is a lot of damage to the gears and… well, if you're willing to pay for replacement parts… though I'm not sure I can find parts right now to fit…" He stared at the clock and scratched his head as he spoke. "I might have to order some parts in the mail, if you're willing to wait-"

"_No!_" Stefan and Vladimir hissed at the same time. Realizing that they unintentionally startled the human, they composed themselves and tried to flash a friendly smile.

"What we mean is, sir…" Stefan started softly.

"We need this to be fixed _very quickly_."

"But if that is not possible, we are willing to buy a new one. May we come in?"

"You are open now, aren't you?"

The man replied hesitantly, "Well, not for another ten minutes. I had just got in through the back when I saw your clock here through the front window…" The two strangers were now glaring at him, as though not satisfied with his response, which was quickly changed to "But, ah… There's no harm in letting you look around, I suppose. It's only ten minutes early, afterall… Uh… Go on in." He opened the door for them. Not until they took five good steps into the shop, away from the sunlight from the large windows and into the safety of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, did they close up the umbrella.

There were more than just grandfather clocks here, all of which Vladimir and Stefan were not interested in, but look brief curious glances at anyway.

The man did not want to say another word to the two suspicious characters, unless those words would get them out of his shop faster. He retreated to his usual spot behind the counter with the cash register.

Vladimir and Stefan stayed close to each other as they wandered around the store, whispering (which they could tell made the owner nervous).

"I don't like this one, Vladimir…"

"Hm, neither do I. And I don't like those two."

"Those in the corner are too plain."

"That one there is so tacky."

While Stefan perused the small selection of clocks, Vladimir smoothly turned on his heels to the owner and asked, "Say, do you work here alone?"

"W-well, my son takes over the shift after lunch. Sometimes my wife helps out."

"Oh, so it's a family business, is it?" Vladimir leaned on the counter casually, smiling. "How nice."

"Vladimir!" Stefan shouted suddenly from one corner of the shop.

"One moment, sir," Vladimir excused himself.

He returned to his friend, who asked, "What are you doing?"

"I was just figuring out who would miss him, that's all."

"Oh, don't be a glutton, Vladimir. We already had that 'comfort food' last night."

"Oh, come now. Don't deny me to indulge once in a while."

"Oh, but I thought you were a patient and dignified gentleman, my friend," Stefan grinned.

"But please… don't tell me you weren't thinking of it too."

Stefan glanced at the owner, who was pretending not to stare at his customers. "Well, first let's focus on what we came here for."

"Of course."

"Now," Stefan turned his friend's attention to the clock in front of them, "I do like this one. What do you think?"

"Hm… I like it too. I like it very much, actually."

The clock they were now staring at was thinner than their late clock, but still very big. Its wood was darker, and the bonnet was much more detailed, while the rest was quite plain. They could not help but smile when they turned to the owner.

"We like this one here," Vladimir declared.

"How much is it?"

"2,075," was the shop owner's answer.

The duo flinched and raised an eyebrow or two.

"_That_ much?" Vladimir asked, incredulous.

"How about 1,000?" Stefan asked. Of all the things the vampires were good at, bargaining was not one of them. But they figured it was worth a try.

"No can do."

"1,500?" Vladimir offered, walking closer to the counter.

"I don't think so-"

"Understand, sir," Stefan pleaded. "We don't want to be unreasonable, but we really don't have the means to spend that kind of money-"

"And, it's simply a marvelous clock. It's perfect for us, you see. We must have that one."

"Sorry, buddy…" the owner shrugged. It seemed he was hoping that his refusals would cause the two to leave if they could not get what they wanted.

Vladimir and Stefan paused. They looked at each other, than back at the owner.

"Fine," Stefan sighed, searching his pocket for the money they had stolen just a few hours before. "I'm not sure if there's enough; hold on for just one moment, sir."

At first, he slapped the money from the bar onto the counter. Then he dug up the money from the man on the street; the heavily blood-stained bills were also thrown in front of the shop owner. Vladimir picked them up and started counting at an inhuman pace. He finished, put the money back down and said, "$1, 672, sir. That is our final offer."

The owner was bewildered by the blood stains. "Just what are you trying to pull here?"

"What do you mean?" Vladimir asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"First off, there is no negotiating prices here. Second, I can't accept… whatever it is you're giving me…" he grimaced at the bloody money. "I-I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Stefan replied, turning around.

"We understand," Vladimir continued. "But, you can keep the money-"

"We won't be needing it. We just want this-" Stefan gestured toward the clock.

"So we'll be taking it. Thank you for your help, sir."

"Hey- what in the hell are you-? I'll call the police if you two don't leave right now-"

Vladimir was leaning over the counter again, his stoic face just inches from the man's face. "Oh, we hate to do this, really we do… to leave your wife a widow and your son fatherless…"

"But you're just so uncooperative." Stefan seemed to suddenly appear behind the counter. Before another word could be spoken, the man was thrown into one of the many clocks, the shattered glass cutting his face, chest and arms, letting his blood drip into the clock's body; the smell escaped and the two vampires were not hesitant to finish the job.

…

After finishing their unnecessary but satisfying meal and sloppily hiding the evidence in the back room of the store, Vladimir and Stefan headed out again. Escaping out the back door, they carried their new clock on their shoulders, their umbrella swinging from Stefan's arm. They were silent as they traveled, as this physical weight was put on their shoulders, a greater weight was lifted from them.

When they finally reached their little cabin, and set up that new clock in the dark corner, they felt relieved.

"This one looks much better, wouldn't you say, Vladimir?"

"Oh, yes. Much better."

They stood for a moment, to watch the pendulum like they used to do with their old clock (which was now long gone from their memories).

"So," Stefan spoke up, "we should go visit those Cullens now, shouldn't we?"

"I'd say it's a fine time to head out."

"Splendid."

And so, arm-in-arm, Vladimir and Stefan left their cabin once again, now in much better spirits, and ready to carry on with their plan.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Within a few hours, after making their way across the country for the third time within the past twenty-four hours (Vladimir and Stefan would have found this ridiculous, but they had traveled greater lengths before), Vladimir and Stefan found themselves standing at the bottom of a pathway leading to the Cullens' front door.

"I'm sure they know we're here," Stefan said, breaking the silence, all sounds in the town of Forks muffled by snow, the sunlight muted by the clouds.

"Of course they do," Vladimir agreed, watching the movement in the windows far ahead. "They must have known our intentions of coming as soon as we thought them."

"With Carlisle's collection of talented children, I would not doubt that either."

Once they fell silent again, they wasted not a second more of their precious time. They had gone over their plans on their way to Forks, so they walked up the pathway with a certain confidence. The door opened for them long before they reached it.

Carlisle and Esme, who the Romanians knew to be "ever-so-polite", received them once they reached the door. But Stefan and Vladimir noticed that, while the two stood there very polite and proper, their eyes were wary as they looked over their visitors. Beyond the open door, the Vladimir and Stefan could see the Cullen children, some moving or some standing still, all cautious eyes on the visitors.

Vladimir spoke with a grin dripping with confidence, which was reciprocated by his friend. "We apologize for dropping by like this again-"

"But we have something rather pressing to talk to you about, Carlisle."

Carlisle, whose sudden blunt tone did not bother the Romanians in the least bit, opened the door wider, nodded, and replied, "So I've heard. Please, come in."

As the visitors stepped into the house, they could not ignore the cold glares that surrounded them. They noticed that these looks came from the children; there were five there; the mind reader's newborn mate and the strange Renesmee must have been somewhere else. However, Carlisle and Esme were able to maintain their common courtesy. And so, Vladimir and Stefan kept their focus on the ever-so-polite husband and wife, who seemed much more willing to speak than their children were.

"Please, relax," Carlisle said, turning to the children. This did little to calm them, but each- aside from the mind reader- turned to their respective mate and started exchanging quiet, cautious conversations.

"Well…" Carlisle started again, flashing a brief smile which disappeared before he started talking again. "I would ask you what you are doing here, but Edward and Alice have told us your intentions. But still, Stefan, Vladimir, I would like to hear it directly from your mouths."

Vladimir and Stefan exchanged an amused glance.

"Oh, they have?" Vladimir asked, in mock surprise.

"You have some very impressive children, Carlisle."

"Not a minute after we devise our grand plan, and you already know the details."

"_Very_ impressive, indeed."

"Very interesting."

Carlisle suddenly smiled, and spoke to ease the very apparent tension in the room; however, Vladimir and Stefan also could not help but notice that he spoke instinctively with the slightest air of fatherly pride, "Yes, our Alice and Edward are very 'impressive' you could say… very talented." He continued, but his tone became more serious, "But you two did not come here to talk about them."

The Romanians chuckled, as Stefan said, "Oh, no. No, no, we didn't."

"You see, our plan-"

"It's quite brilliant, really."

"And it will be made all the more successful if we have your cooperation."

"If Edward was correct in his description of your intentions, I can guarantee neither I nor anyone here would not want to have anything to do with your plan." As Carlisle spoke, his family shifted restlessly, stared more intently at the Romanians, as if the pair of vampires grew as an ever bigger threat with every word spoken.

"Well, Carlisle, if you'll allow us to explain-"

"Yes, Stefan. You and Vladimir may explain. I said earlier that I would like you to explain. But let me tell you first, if what Edward said was correct, and you're planning any kind of newborn army just so you can fight of the Volturi-"

Carlisle was interrupted when Stefan and Vladimir burst into laughter. Vladimir answered, "Oh, you put it in such _simple_ words-"

"As if our plan were as _simple_ as that."

"Really, Carlisle. You belittle our intelligence."

"Maybe your mind reader and your fortune teller did not _properly_ explain our entire plan. So, please-"

"Allow _us _to properly explain."

…

**I'm so sorry for my absence. :( I hate to not work on this fanfic, but life has been very busy for me.  
****I might be absent for another month or so, but I'll try to update more often after that.  
****I hope you all liked this chapter. As always, thank you for reading!**


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